Various types of rotary drill bits, reamers, sleeves, stabilizers and other downhole tools may be used to form a borehole in the earth. Examples of such rotary drill bits include, but are not limited to, fixed cutter drill bits, drag bits, PDC drill bits, matrix drill bits, roller cone drill bits, rotary cone drill bits and rock bits used in drilling oil and gas wells. Cutting action associated with such drill bits generally requires weight on bit (WOB) and rotation of associated cutting elements into adjacent portions of a downhole formation. Drilling fluid may also be provided to perform several functions including washing away formation materials and other downhole debris from the bottom of a wellbore, cleaning associated cutting elements and cutting structures and carrying formation cuttings and other downhole debris upward to an associated well surface.
Some prior art sleeves and stabilizers have been formed with blades extending from a generally hollow, elongated cylindrical body. One or more gage pads may be formed on exterior portions of such blades. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,246, 5,992,547, 6,092,613 and 6,129,161. British Patent GB 2424434 may also be of interest.